After years of searching, the survivors of the Colonies have finally found Earth! But none of them could have predicted that the planet that they had been searching for would also be in a post-apocalyptic state. Now, with four members of the Final Five revealed, the crew of the Galactica must make a decision about where to go next. Do they continue looking for a new home or just give up? Do they continue their treaty with the Cylons? And who or what has Starbuck become? All will stand revealed in these final episodes of Battlestar Galactica Season 4.5 now available on Blu-ray!
Lots of spoilers people. You have been warned. So say we all.
Episode Highlights-
"Sometimes a Great Nation"
This season picks up moments after the previous episode where we learn that Earth is a barren wasteland. There is no hope for colonization. Nerves are shot. People lose hope. The crew of the Galactica make a stunning discovery that the bodies they find on Earth aren't human…but CYLON! So…that means the thirteenth tribe…were Cylons all along! As if this new fact wasn't enough to deal with, Starbuck makes a startling discovery of her own and finds her own mangled corpse on the surface of the planet. So if that is her body…what is she? In a "I can't believe they showed that on television" moment, Dee gives up on life and commits suicide.. And Col. Tigh remembers that Ellen is the Final Cylon. DUN DUN DUN.
"The Oath" and "Blood on the Scales"
This amazing two part episode features Gaeta and Zarek working together to lead a mutiny and take over Galactica. Zarek is opposed by the Quarem (and he quickly takes care of them in one of the most messed up scenes of the season). We also get some great moments from Roslin when she believes that Adama was executed. Her speech to Zarek and Gaeta yelling "I WILL END YOU!" was probably one of her best moments from the series. Anders gets injured while Starbuck and Apollo try to rescue their friends. We really get to see the Apollo/Starbuck dynamic at it's best during these episodes as well. They are both on their A-Game.
"Someone to Watch Over Me"
…aka Starbuck learns how to play piano. That's what this entire episode is. She learns how to play "All Along the Watchtower"…which is the same song that turned the Final Five on…So why is she learning this song? And why has Hera written down the notes to this song? How is it all connected??? Oh and Tyrol helps Boomer escape from Galactica's Brig…and then she kidnaps Hera. Way to go Galen.
"Daybreak"
Adama decides that Galactica must take a last stand and save Hera. He offers anyone who wants off the ship one last chance. In a surprise move, Baltar decides to stay and help, wanting to do something good with his life. With the help of the rebel cylons and rebel centurions, they mount an all out attack on the Cylon Colony. Caprica Six and Baltar are reunited and the meaning of their shared visions is finally explained! During the rescue of Hera, the Opera House sequence is fully explained as well and we see years worth of plotlines come together in a triumphant moment! But when Cavil gets his hands on Hera, the Final Five offer to trade the girl for Resurrection Technology. Cavil agrees but during the process of acquiring the information, Galen learns that Tori killed his wife! Needless to say…he wasn't happy to find that out. Cavil and the other Cylons think they are being double crossed and open fire…but ultimately don't make it out alive. With Galactica's system's damaged, Adama tells Starbuck to jump the ship to safety. She uses the numberic association that she put to "All Along the Watchtower" and jumps the ship away. But away to where? How about the place we like to call…EARTH? But wait. Wasn't Earth nuked? Well that wasn't our Earth. That was another planet called Earth. So now they are on prehistoric Earth.
Special Features
Hi-Def Features
-The Oracle- An Interactive guide including ships and characters
-Battlestar Actual- A glossary of all the unique BSG terms
-The Musicans Behind "Daybreak"-Go behind the scenes as Bear McCreary scores the series finale
-The Journey Ends: The Arrival-BSG has traveled full circle. The journey has concluded never to be revisited. But how did we arrive at the end?
-A Look Back- A six part retrospective of BSG
-…And They Have A Plan-What do they mean every episode when the opening sequence on the Cylons states "And They Have A Plan?"
-1080p video
-5.1 DTS Master Audio
Standard Def Features:
-Deleted Scenes
-Evolution of A Cue
-What the Frak is going on with BSG?
-Unaired Extended Episodes with Commentaries- Seriously, make sure you watch the extended episodes. The extended Daybreak is impressive!
-Ron Moore's Podcast Commentaries
-David Eick's Video Blogs
Overall
When you first put this disc into your Blu-ray player, it starts with a brief introduction from Ron Moore explaining that Battlestar Galactica has always been shot in High Definition. This is the first time that you are truly seeing the show as it was meant to be seen. After sitting and rewatching all of these episodes I can say without any hestitation that the difference is quite remarkable. The show has always looked great, but now it looks astonishing. If you have the opportunity to check out Battlestar Galactica on Blu-ray I highly recommend it.
ComicsOnline gives Battlestar Galactica Season 4.5 – 5 out of 5 Best Shows Ever. So Say We All!
